The UNC System Office of Federal Relations shared an update on the Higher Ed Act Reauthorization process and other Federal legislative activity last week. Below is an excerpt with several links for additional information.

 Higher Education Act

The House of Representatives is advancing legislation that makes changes to parts of the Higher Education Act.

• Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act (H.R. 3136): Authored by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and cosponsored by Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Jared Polis (D-CO), the bill directs the secretary of education to implement competency based education demonstration projects, including accountability and flexibility provisions for institutions. PASSED 414-0

To learn more about the bill, click here.

• Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act (H.R. 4983): Authored by Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and cosponsored by Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) and John Kline (R-MN), the bill requires the secretary of education to create a consumer-tested College Dashboard that would display key information students need when deciding which school to attend and streamlines information requirements. PASSED by voice vote

To learn more about the bill, click here.

• Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act (H.R. 4984): Authored by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), the bill promotes enhanced and interactive financial counseling for students and parents participating in federal loan programs and directs the secretary of education to develop an online counseling tool that aids institutions in providing financial counseling. PASSED 405-11

To learn more about the bill, click here.

• The House also passed legislation (H.R. 5134) introduced by Rep. Foxx that would extend the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance for one year.

READ MORE:

Inside Higher Ed: House Starts in on HEA

Chronicle of Higher Education: In Passing 3 Bills, House Panel Takes First Step to Renew Higher Education Act

The National College Access Network has released a chart comparing the elements of the Senate and House HEA proposals

Education Tax Credits

The House also passed the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act (H.R. 3393) by a vote of 227-187. The legislation, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee in late June, combines four higher ed tax provisions – the Hope Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), the Lifetime Learning Credit, and the tuition deduction – into a single AOTC. The bill would also make this AOTC permanent.

Student Loan Debt

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Dynamic Student Loan Repayment Act (S. 2612) on July 16, which would consolidate three federal loan options – Grad PLUS, subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans – into one. The new loan would be repaid through a simplified and improved income-based system that would limit payments to 10 percent of borrower paychecks and tier loan forgiveness by debt load. Older borrowers would also be able to consolidate into the new loans.

 STEM

On July 14, the House passed three bills that contain elements of the FIRST Act and America COMPETES Reauthorization under a suspension of the rules. All three passed with broad bipartisan support; the bills are below.

STEM Education Act of 2014 (H.R. 5031)

Introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the STEM Education Act of 2014 defines STEM education to include computer science as a discipline. The STEM Education Act also includes a section on Informal STEM Education, which gives authority to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director to award grants to entities that research and develop innovative out-of-school STEM learning. This legislation also includes a section that amends the NSF Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship Program to allow students with a bachelor’s degree working towards a Master’s degree the opportunity to participate.

Research and Development Efficiency Act (H.R. 5056)

The Research and Development Efficiency Act, introduced by Rep. Larry Buschon (R-IN), directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a working group responsible for reviewing Federal regulations affecting research and research universities, and making recommendations on how to: 1) harmonize, streamline, and eliminate duplicative Federal regulations and reporting requirements; and 2) minimize the regulatory burden on institutions of higher education performing federally-funded research while maintaining accountability for U.S. tax dollars.